The present invention relates to a method and a system for resolving and operating POI stacks in a virtual environment displayed on a screen surface.
A navigation in a virtual environment places high demands on a user. Especially in virtual environments, which provide additional information through selectable items, a high degree of attentiveness from the user is required to manage the presented information in a meaningful way. In particular, a change from an applied operating logic, such as a change from a crosshair-based scroll view to a list-based element selection requires from the user a complete reorientation by abstracting from the already executed operations in the crosshair-based scroll view. This reorientation is not only disruptive for the user experience in dealing with the virtual environment, but leads to dangerous deficits in attentiveness, especially in road traffic.
According to the invention, both a method and a system are provided which use a single operating logic for navigating in a virtual environment and in a list of selectable elements. The term element in the context of the method and the system according to the invention is to be understood as a part of a stack, in particular a stack that represents a set of points of interest (POI's). Point of Interests (POI) is a common term in conjunction with navigation systems and indicates a point on a map that could have significance for a user.
By applying the single operating logic for navigating in a virtual environment and in the list of selectable elements, both the reorientation as well as the abstraction of the already executed operations of the user become unnecessary and does not burden the user's attentiveness.
DE 102 30 479 A1 discloses a driver information device which displays, when several special objects are located at a position in the map, a common symbol instead of a single symbol for each of these objects, within which, in turn, a selection menu for selecting specific individual objects is displayed. For this purpose, a semi-transparent selection window is placed over a scroll plane based on a map view and the map view is rendered in a gray tone.
WO 2012/110882 A1 discloses an apparatus for displaying map information which includes a screen for displaying the map information and a navigation device. Information about locations in the vicinity of a displayed route is shown on the screen in such a way that it is integrated into the current map display, i.e. information about POI's from the periphery are integrated in a current routing so that associations between POI's of the current route and POI's in the peripheral can be displayed. For this purpose, combination symbols are used which contain information about peripheral POI's as well as information about current POI's.
DE 10 2007 030 229 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for unobscured representation of closely spaced topographic objects in stylized form. The topographic objects are integrated into an illustrated map so that at least a permanent concealment of topographic elements of the map is avoided by the stylized representation in the map region that includes the geographic positions of the stylized objects, by a temporally and/or spatially offset display and/or by a display offset in a dimension outside the map layer and/or in a superimposed representation with link to a popup window where the overlay of stylized topographic objects is at least partially removed, and/or is prevented by a change in the scale of the map. POI's having completely identical geographical positions or geographical positions in close vicinity should be integrated into electronically displayable maps with the smallest possible mutual concealment and without compromising a map image. This is achieved by using a so-called toggling method, wherein objects are displayed in a cyclically alternating manner. In order to change a scale in a map region having several closely spaced POI's, this process must be initiated by a user. Such a pre-selected map segment may be displayed in a window or in a pop-up window within the originally displayed map. When using a pop-up window, the orientation of the user is facilitated in that a solid apex of the popup window forms a geographical connection element with the original position of the element on the geographical map.
US 2004/0243306 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for a navigation system. The method includes the steps of specifying POI's on a preselected map section, a radial arrangement of individual POI's of POI stacks around the center of the pre-selected map section, and a representation of the location on the map, where the POI's were located before the step of radial arrangement, by connecting lines. The orientation of the user on the map layer is intended to be facilitated by overlaying radial edge zones that have a defined distance from the center of the selected map section. Furthermore, the disclosed method uses a function to shift individual POI's relative to a selection icon displayed in the center of the map.
Finally, DE 10 2007 037 386 A1 discloses a method for operating a navigation system. The method includes the following method steps:                a) calculating and displaying a map view on a display device, wherein the map view represents at least a section of a geographical area;        b) selecting from a database the locations to be highlighted, which are in the region of the represented geographical area and are each associated with a POI in the map view,        c) representing the POI's in the map view, wherein POI's that symbolize locations in close vicinity to be highlighted, are shown by a common combination symbol, so that in each case a combination symbol represents several POI's, wherein the combination symbol has at least one display area in which at least one POI can be displayed, wherein the POI's associated with the combination symbol are displayed in the display area alternatingly in time.        
The combination symbol that includes a plurality of POI's is to be rendered graphically so as to symbolize a stack with at least one panel. When a combination symbol is selected by the user, all POI's are displayed simultaneously side-by-side.